Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
All eyes on Legarto in Breeders’ Stakes on Champions Day
Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • March 7th, 2025 4:15 pm
Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
After a pair of fast-finishing seconds on major Ellerslie racedays last season, New Zealand’s highest-rated mare Legarto has the chance to set the record straight on Champions Day.
Saturday’s Gr.1 HKJC World Pool New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) will be the fourth start at Ellerslie for Legarto, who picked up a win and two second placings from her three appearances at the reopened Auckland track last season.
Legarto was a winner over 1400m at Ellerslie last January, then was upset by Desert Lightning as a $1.30 favourite in the Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) on Karaka Millions night. Desert Lightning kicked away at the corner, leaving Legarto more than half a dozen lengths in his wake, and the star mare could only claw the gap back to a length and three-quarters at the finish line. The third placegetter finished seven lengths behind the first pair.
Racing expert Mick Guerin provides some hot betting tips for Champions Day | Sport Nation Mornings
It was a strikingly similar story in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) last March, where Legarto jumped as a $1.20 favourite. This time it was El Vencedor who opened up an unassailable advantage, beating the strong-finishing Legarto by a neck with five and a half lengths back to third.
“She has had a bit of a problem with getting too far out of her ground, which you can’t really afford to do in these top-level races at Ellerslie,” Legarto’s co-trainer Ken Kelso said. “That’s going to be up to Ryan Elliot (jockey) on Saturday, but our only instructions will be to ride her like the best horse in the race.”
There is little doubt that Legarto deserves that description. The daughter of Proisir has won 10 of her 16 starts and more than $2 million, including Group One triumphs in the New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), Australian Guineas (1600m) and Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m).
A minor tendon injury ruled her out of the spring, but she returned to action with a stunning performance in the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m) at Matamata three weeks ago. In her first start for 322 days, she pounced at the top of the straight and won with ease.
“I have to admit to being a bit surprised by what she did that day,” Kelso said. “We obviously know how good she is, and she’d been working well leading into the race and had a very good exhibition gallop at Tauranga. But that performance probably blew us away a little bit.
Scotty Stevenson hits Ellerslie for the Group 1 Sport Nation Ōtaki-Māori WFA Classic | Sport Nation
“Everything’s gone to plan since that race as well. She had another exhibition gallop at Matamata last Saturday, where Ryan rode her and was very happy with how she felt. She did a nice bit of maintenance work on Tuesday morning. All systems are go for Saturday.”
Legarto is one of two Champions Day runners for Kelso and his wife Bev, with both set to jump as favourite. The couple will also saddle the brilliant three-year-old filly Alabama Lass in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm King’s Plate (1200m).
Alabama Lass won all of her first three starts this season including the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m). She has finished second at Group One level in both of her starts since then, chasing home Captured By Love in the New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and being edged out by a short head by Crocetti in the Sistema Railway (1200m).
The TAB rates Alabama Lass a $2 favourite to turn the tables on Saturday, with Crocetti the second favourite at $3.30.
“She’s been a bit unfortunate with the weather,” Kelso said. “She’s struck rain-affected ground in both of those Group One races, which didn’t suit her at all. With a bit better luck, she could just about be unbeaten this season.
“The rain made the 1600m quite a test in the Guineas at Riccarton, which it was always going to be for her anyway, but she was very brave. And then it was similar on deteriorating ground in the Railway, but she was extremely brave that night too.
“She’s gone the right way since then. She’s had five weeks between runs, but galloped brilliantly between races last Saturday and ran fantastic time there. She worked up very well again on Tuesday. We think she’s right where we want her to be.”
